Animal Idioms and Proverbs

to be a busy ___

(to work with great diligence)

• Cat

• Dog

• Bee

• Owl

_____ of a feather flock together

(persons of like interests gather in the

same place)

• Ducks

• Fishes

• Geese

• Birds

to throw someone a ____

(to fob a person off with a symbolic

but unimportant gesture)

• Bone

• Food

• Gold

• Meat

when the ___ is away the mice

will play

(in the absence of supervision discipline

will be lax)

• Man

• Day

• Cat

• Rat

to be a big ____ in a little pond

(to be a person holding an important

office but in an unimportant organization)

• Swan

• Duck

• Frog

• Fish

someone can't hurt a ___

(someone is very gentle and kindhearted)

• Fly

• Ant

• Bee

• Bat

a wild _____ chase

(a foolish search for something which

does not exist)

• Horse

• Mouse

• Goose

• Moose

to be a wolf in _____'s

clothing

(to be a hypocrite or to be dangerous

although masquerading as something

harmless)

• Eagle

• Panda

• Lemur

• Sheep

one _______ does not

make a summer

(much further evidence is desirable

before any action taken)

• Spider

• Swallow

• Rooster

• Sparrow

to have one's ____ between one's legs

(to show great humility in the light of

a back down)

• Hail

• Rain

• Space

• Tail